Hair waving pick

ABSTRACT

A hair curl fastened near the scalp on a curler or roller by a flexible band extending from one end of the roller to the other is held in close proximity to the head by passing a flexible pick between the roller and the band and between the roller and the scalp. Such a pick can be made of white nylon and includes a soft, flexible shank having either a blunted or rounded or pointed outer end, a shoulder extending integrally normally from the other end of the shank, and a finger piece integral with the shoulder opposite the shank. The presence of the shoulder on the shank provides an increasing stiffness of the shank toward the shoulder end of the pick. Notch is provided in the shoulder-shank portion of the pick opposite the finger piece and near the end of the shank in position to receive the flexible band to prevent it from slipping off of the shoulder shank.

United States Patent Grismer [451 Sept. 12, 1972 [54] HAIR WAVING PICK[72] Inventor: Raymond J. Grismer, 110 E. Main,

Mandan, N. Dak. 58554 [22] Filed: Oct. 5, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 78,029

[52] US. Cl. ..132/46 [51] Int. Cl. ..A45tl 8/00 [58] Field of Search..l32/46, 50, 40, 61, 7, 42,

g [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,630,127 3/1953 Isbell..132/40 2,652,063 9/ 1953 Seyffarth ..132/43 R 1,190,980 7/1916 Boyers..132/40 2,730,110 1/1956 Hale ..l32/42 R Primary Examiner-Louis G.Mancene Assistant Examiner-Gregory E. McNeill Attorney-Burd, Braddock &Bartz ABSTRACT A hair curl fastened near the scalp on a curler or rollerby a flexible band extending from one end of the roller to the other isheld in close proximity to the head by passing a flexible pick betweenthe roller and the band and between the roller and the scalp. Such apick can be made of white nylon and includes a soft, flexible shankhaving either a blunted or rounded or pointed outer end, a shoulderextending integrally normally from the other end of the shank, and afinger piece integral with the shoulder opposite the shank. The presenceof the shoulder on the shank provides an increasing stiflness of theshank toward the shoulder end of the pick. Notch is provided in theshouldershank portion of the pick opposite the finger piece and near theend of the shank in position to receive the flexible band to prevent itfrom slipping off of the shoulder shank.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEP 12 1912 FIE? ,4rraRA/srs HAIRWAVING PICK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Waving picks for passing betweenthe roller and the scalp were not in common use before the developmentof my method as set out in my copending application for a METHOD OFWAVING HAIR, Ser. No. 796,801, filed Feb. 9, 1969; but picks have beendesigned for use with other hair curlers, and particularly with theso-called brush type curler and with plastic curlers of openconstruction. These picks are designed to pass clear through the curleritself to hold the hair section in place thereon. Such picks must be ofsuflicient rigidity and size to be strong enough and sharp enough on theouter end to easily penetrate the curler or roller and to hold theirposition in the brush type roller or open plastic roller.

Such picks would be completely unsuitable for use between the rollerandthe flexible roller band and between the roller and the scalp.Specifically, where the diameter of the shank of the pick is thickerthan the thickness of the wrapped hair section between the roller andthe scalp, the roller will be forced away from the scalp by the presenceof the pick and the resulting wave will be imperfect to the extent thatthe hair is not curled near the scalp- Further, such a forcing of theroller away from the head will tend to get in the way of the next rolleras the operator continues the rolling process. It will also causeunnecessary and dangerous stress on the hair follicle and will causediscomfort to the user. Picks of the prior art designed to be forcedthrough rollers are of approximately twice the diameter of a pick of thepresent invention and are about twice as long.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A pick made according to the'present inventionin- I cludes a soft, elongated flexible outer shank having either ablunted or rounded or pointed outer end, the shank merging at the endopposite the outer end into an integral shoulder which extends outwardlyfrom the shank at approximately right angles thereto. A flat or threedimensional finger piece is integral with the end of the shoulderopposite the shank, and asafety notch is provided in the shank where itis integral with the shoulder in position to receive the flexible bandto prevent it from slipping ofl of the end of the shouldershank portionof the pick. After the hair from a particular hair section of the scalpis rolled onto a hair curler or roller until it has position immediatelyadjacent the scalp, a flexible band is supported on each of the oppositeends of the roller and is situated in adjacent relationship to the scalpand in holding relationship to the hair curl positioned on the roller. Apick of the present invention will then be grasped at the finger pieceby an operator, and the outer end of the pick will be forced between theflexible band and the roller, through a central portion of the hair curlbetween the roller and the scalp until the shoulder and finger piececome to rest against the roller. The shank and shoulder hold theflexible band, and hence the attached roller, in close proximity to thescalp, the distance from the scalp being determined by the bulk of thehair curl between the roller and the scalp and by the diameter of thepick. The stiffness of this shoulder-shank portion will cause the rollerto be maintained in its closest relationship to the scalp, while theflexible outer end portion of the shank will conform to the shape of thescalp and will lie easily against the scalp so that it will not be inthe way of work done on adjacent hair sections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG.1 is a rear view of a head showinga typical pattern of natural growth direction of the hair thereon andshowing several hair curls held in place by picks made in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a combined end view and side elevational view of one pick madein accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings of thenumerals as reference thereon, a head, indicated generally at 10, isseen to have hair 11 thereon extending therefrom in its natural growthdirection, starting at the crown (cowlick) area 12 and extendingoutwardly in all directions. As seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a number ofcurls 17 are disclosed as having been wound around hair curlers orrollers 22 until the rollers are as close as possible to the roots ofthe hair and the hair sections that have been rolled to form the curls.A flexible band or strap 25, fastened over one end of the curler 22 isthen fastened over the second end of the curler 22 to encompass the haircurl on the rod and hold it in place as best seen in FIG. 3. Next a pick27 of the invention having a finger piece 31 and a shank 33 with anouter end 32 is introduced between the roller 22 and flexible band 25and the shank is slid along the scalp until the pick has positionedsubstantially as seen in FIG. 2.

As to the construction of the pick itself, as best seen in FIG. 4, theshank 33 will be soft and flexible and of uniform diameter over most ofits length, but toward the end opposite the outer end 32, the shankconnects to an integral shoulder 34 which extends outwardly from theshank 33 at substantially right angles thereto. A fillet 40 at thisconnection adds stifl'ness to a shoulder-shank portion 35 of the pickand thereby allows or permits the pick to hold the flexible band 25 andthus the roller 22 and curl 17 in a position as close as possible to thescalp of the head 10, as best seen in FIG. 2. It is advantageous if thisstiffness, or at least a part of it, extends downwardly along the shankfrom the shoulder 34 a distance at least equal to the diameter of theparticular roller being used.

A notch 36 is provided in the shank face side of the shoulder-shankportion 35, and is for the purpose of intercepting the flexible band 25to keep it from slipping up over the top of the shoulder and thus atleast partially releasing the roller being held by the pick. In actualusage, many times this flexible band 25 will not rest in the notch 36,but will rest along the shank face of the shoulder-shank portion at aside of the notch away from the top of the shoulder. Then, if and whenthe roller becomes misplaced or dislodged as it is-wom in the hair, theflexible band will not slide any further than into the notch 36.

When the hair wave has been set, or whenever the curlers are to beremoved, each finger piece 31 can easily be reached by the operator andthe pick withdrawn. The band 25 will then be removed from the roller,and the roller removed from the curl in any usual or preferred manner.While the finger piece 31 is shown to be flat, it is to be understoodthat it could be in the form of a spheroid or in any other convenientthree dimensional form.

The shank 33 of the picks seen in the drawings, has been shown to berelatively short, so that each pick is used to position only oneparticular curl 17 and roller 22. However, it is to be understood thatthe picks or' some of them could be longer. In that case, a particularpick could be used to position more than one roller, in the manner asset out in my copending application, above identified. Picks of thepresent invention can be made of white nylon, but many other substanceswill also have the necessary and desirable properties.

In order that the pick not contribute to the holding of the roller andhence the curl away from the head unnecessarily, it is desirable thatthe diameter of the shank of the pick be no greater than the thicknessof the hair of a particular section which is situated between the rollerat the point where the pick passes adjacent the roller and the scalp.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. For use with a head supported hair curl on a hair waving roller and aband fastened to end portions of said roller to hold the curl on theroller, a pick for holding the roller in close proximity to the head bypassing at the same time between said band and said roller and betweenthe head and said roller, said pick including an elongated shank havingan outer end portion, a shoulder extending outwardly from an end of saidshank opposite said outer end portion at substantially right angles tothe shank and a finger piece integral with said shoulder at a sidethereof opposite said shank; said elongated shank being of flexiblematerial of uniform transverse dimension over the major portion of itslength but having a fillet connecting it to said shoulder, saidconnection being such as to increase the stiffness of the shank adjacentthe shoulder; and wherein said shank is provided with a notch inadjacent spaced relationship to the edge of said shoulder o posite saidouter end portion of said shank.

1. For use with a head supported hair curl on a hair waving roller and aband fastened to end portions of said roller to hold the curl on theroller, a pick for holding the roller in close proximity to the head bypassing at the same time between said band and said roller and betweenthe head and said roller, said pick including an elongated shank havingan outer end portion, a shoulder extending outwardly from an end of saidshank opposite said outer end portion at substantially right angles tothe shank and a finger piece integral with said shoulder at a sidethereof opposite said shank; said elongated shank being of flexiblematerial of uniform transverse dimension over the major portion of itslength but having a fillet connecting it to said shoulder, saidconnection being such as to increase the stiffness of the shank adjacentthe shoulder; and wherein said shank is provided with a notch inadjacent spaced relationship to the edge of said shoulder opposite saidouter end portion of said shank.